Patterns of population
distribution and density help us to
understand the demographic characteristics of any area.
The term population distribution refers to the way people are
spaced over the earth’s surface.
understand the demographic characteristics of any area.
The term population distribution refers to the way people are
spaced over the earth’s surface.
Broadly, 90 per cent of the world population lives in about 10 per
cent of its land area.
Density of the population is usually measured in persons per sq km
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION
I. Geographical Factors
(i) Availability of water:
· It is the most important factor for life. So, people prefer to live
in areas where fresh water is easily available.
· It is because of this that river valleys are among the most
densely populated areas of the world.
(ii) Landforms:
· People prefer living on flat plains and gentle slopes. This is
because such areas are favourable for the production of
crops and to build roads and industries.
· The mountainous and hilly areas hinder the development of
transport network and hence initially do not favour
agricultural and industrial development. So, these areas tend
to be less populated.
· The Ganga plains are among the most densely populated
areas of the world while the mountains zones in the
Himalayas are scarcely populated.
(iii) Climate:
· An extreme climate such as very hot or cold deserts are
uncomfortable for human habitation.
· Areas with a comfortable climate, where there is not much
seasonal variation attract more people.
· Areas with very heavy rainfall or extreme and harsh climates
have low population. Mediterranean regions were inhabited
from early periods in history due to their pleasant climate.
(iv) Soils:
Fertile soils are important for agricultural and allied activities.
Therefore, areas which have fertile loamy soils have more people
living on them as these can support intensive agriculture.
· An extreme climate such as very hot or cold deserts are
uncomfortable for human habitation.
· Areas with a comfortable climate, where there is not much
seasonal variation attract more people.
· Areas with very heavy rainfall or extreme and harsh climates
have low population. Mediterranean regions were inhabited
from early periods in history due to their pleasant climate.
(iv) Soils:
Fertile soils are important for agricultural and allied activities.
Therefore, areas which have fertile loamy soils have more people
living on them as these can support intensive agriculture.
II. Economic Factors
(i) Minerals:
· Areas with mineral deposits attract industries.
· Mining and industrial activities generate employment. So,
skilled and semi–skilled workers move to these areas and
make them densely populated.
· Katanga Zambia copper belt in Africa is one such good
example.
(ii) Urbanisation:
· Cities offer better employment opportunities, educational
and medical facilities, better means of transport and
communication.
· Good civic amenities and the attraction of city life draw
people to the cities. It leads to rural to urban migration and
cities grow in size.
· Mega cities of the world continue to attract large number of
migrants every year.
(i) Minerals:
· Areas with mineral deposits attract industries.
· Mining and industrial activities generate employment. So,
skilled and semi–skilled workers move to these areas and
make them densely populated.
· Katanga Zambia copper belt in Africa is one such good
example.
(ii) Urbanisation:
· Cities offer better employment opportunities, educational
and medical facilities, better means of transport and
communication.
· Good civic amenities and the attraction of city life draw
people to the cities. It leads to rural to urban migration and
cities grow in size.
· Mega cities of the world continue to attract large number of
migrants every year.
(iii)
Industrialisation:
· Industrial belts provide job opportunities and attract large
numbers of people. These include not just factory workers but
also transport operators, shopkeepers, bank employees,
doctors, teachers and other service providers.
· The Kobe-Osaka region of Japan is thickly populated
because of the presence of a number of industries.
· Industrial belts provide job opportunities and attract large
numbers of people. These include not just factory workers but
also transport operators, shopkeepers, bank employees,
doctors, teachers and other service providers.
· The Kobe-Osaka region of Japan is thickly populated
because of the presence of a number of industries.
III. Social and Cultural Factors
Some places attract more people because they have religious or
cultural significance. In the same way – people tend to move
away from places where there is social and political unrest.
POPULATION GROWTH
Ø The population growth or population change refers to the
change in number of inhabitants of a territory during a
specific period of time.
Ø This change may be positive as well as negative.
Ø It can be expressed either in terms of absolute numbers or in
terms of percentage.
Ø Population change in an area is an important indicator of
economic development, social upliftment and historical and
cultural background of the region.
Some basic components of population geography:
Growth of Population :
Change of population in particular area between two points of
time is known as growth of population.
Growth Rate of Population :
This is the change of population expressed in percentage.
Natural Growth of
Population: This is the population increased by
difference between births and deaths in a particular region
between two points of time.
Natural Growth = Births – Deaths
Actual Growth of Population : This is Births – Deaths + In Migration –
Out Migration
Positive Growth of Population:
This happens when the birth rate is more than the death rate
between two points of time or when people from other countries
migrate permanently to a region.
Negative Growth of Population:
If the population decreases between two points of time it is known
as negative growth of population. It occurs when the birth rate
falls below the death rate or people migrate to other countries.
Components of Population Change
There are three components of population change – births,
deaths and migration.
The crude birth rate (CBR) is expressed as number of live births in a
year per thousand of women.
Death rate plays an active role in population change.
Population growth occurs not only by increasing births rate but
also due to decreasing death rate.
Crude Death Rate (CDR) is a simple method of measuring
mortality of any area. CDR is expressed in terms of number of
deaths in a particular year per thousand of population in a
particular region.
difference between births and deaths in a particular region
between two points of time.
Natural Growth = Births – Deaths
Actual Growth of Population : This is Births – Deaths + In Migration –
Out Migration
Positive Growth of Population:
This happens when the birth rate is more than the death rate
between two points of time or when people from other countries
migrate permanently to a region.
Negative Growth of Population:
If the population decreases between two points of time it is known
as negative growth of population. It occurs when the birth rate
falls below the death rate or people migrate to other countries.
Components of Population Change
There are three components of population change – births,
deaths and migration.
The crude birth rate (CBR) is expressed as number of live births in a
year per thousand of women.
Death rate plays an active role in population change.
Population growth occurs not only by increasing births rate but
also due to decreasing death rate.
Crude Death Rate (CDR) is a simple method of measuring
mortality of any area. CDR is expressed in terms of number of
deaths in a particular year per thousand of population in a
particular region.
Migration
Apart from birth and death there is another way by which the
population size changes. When people move from one place to
another, the place they move from is called the Place of Origin
and the place they move to is called the Place of Destination.
Apart from birth and death there is another way by which the
population size changes. When people move from one place to
another, the place they move from is called the Place of Origin
and the place they move to is called the Place of Destination.
Immigration: Migrants who move into a new place are called
Immigrants.
Emigration: Migrants who move out of a place are called
Emigrants.
People migrate for a better economic and social life. There are
two sets of factors that influence migration.
The Push factors make the place of origin seem less attractive for
reasons like unemployment, poor living conditions, political
turmoil, unpleasant climate, natural disasters, epidemics and
socio-economic backwardness.
The Pull factors make the place of destination seem more
attractive than the place of origin for reasons like better job
opportunities and living conditions, peace and stability, security of
life and property and pleasant climate.
It took more than a million years for the human population to
attain the one billion mark. But it took only 12 years for it to rise
from 5 billion to 6 billion.
DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION THEORY:
Demographic transition theory can be used to describe and
predict the future population of any area. The theory tells us that
population of any region changes from high births and high
deaths to low births and low deaths as society progresses from
rural agrarian and illiterate to urban industrial and literate society.
These changes occur in stages which are collectively known as
the demographic cycle.
DEMOGRAPHIC CYCLE:
The first stage has high fertility and high mortality because people
reproduce more to compensate for the deaths due to epidemics
and variable food supply. The population growth is slow and most
of the people are engaged in agriculture where large families are
an asset. Life expectancy is low, people are mostly illiterate and
have low levels of technology. Two hundred years ago all the
countries of the world were in this stage.
Fertility remains high in the beginning of second stage but it
declines with time. This is accompanied by reduced mortality rate.
Improvements in sanitation and health conditions lead to decline
in mortality. Because of this gap the net addition to population is
high.
In the last stage, both fertility and mortality decline considerably.
The population is either stable or grows slowly. The population
becomes urbanised, literate and has high technical knowhow
and deliberately controls the family size.
Family planning is the spacing or preventing the birth of children.
Access to family planning services is a significant factor in limiting
population growth and improving women’s health.
Propaganda, free availability of contraceptives and tax
disincentives for large families are some of the measures which
can help population control.
Thomas Malthus in his theory (1793) stated that the number of
people would increase faster than the food supply. Any
further increase would result in a population crash caused by
famine, disease and war. The preventive checks are better than
the physical checks.